Cartridge dispenser



Aug. 15, 1967 AWUCK 3,335,855

CARTRIDGE DISPENSER Filed Aug. 20, 1965 INVENTOR. HEl/VZ GAWL/CK ATTORNE Y8 United States Patent 3,335,855 CARTRIDGE DISPENSER Heinz Gawlick, Furth, Bavaria, Germany, assignor to Anstalt fur Montage-Technik, Vaduz, Liechtenstein Filed Aug. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 481,372

Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 20, 1964,

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-56) This invention relates to a box for storing and dispensing large numbers of small articles, and more particularly, to a box for the shipment, storage and dispensing of explosive cartridges for stud driving tools and the like.

There are already known dispensing boxes which are round, or disk-like, in shape and consist of a bottom part with a circular vertical wall and a cover part with a rim which can be fitted over the wall of the bottom part. In the case of such boxes, e.g., pillboxes, it is known to arrange an opening in the side surface of the bottom part as well as in the side surface of the cover part so that the openings can be made to coincide by relative rotation of the bottom and cover parts so that individual pills can be dispensed from the box through the coinciding openings by slight shaking of the box. The rotatable cover is secured against being lifted ofi? in the factory after the box has been filled. Also, boxes are known having sliding lids or portions thereof in connection with which, in a given position of the lid, individual pills can be dispensed through an exposed opening.

In contradistinction to such boxes, the dispensing box in accordance with the present invention is characterized by the fact that its bottom part and its cover part have congruent polygonal shapes, as seen in plan view, preferably the shape of a regular hexagon, and that dispensing openings adapted to be brought into coincidence with each other are provided, one in a side surface of the vertical wall of the bottom part and one in the edge wall of the cover, through which openings the explosive cartridges can be individually dispensed. As a result of the polygonal shape, rotation of the cover with respect to the bottom part of the box is not possible. The user, therefore, after removing the cover from the bottom part, can decide whether to replace the cover in such a position that the openings in the two walls coincide so that the cartridges can be dispensed individually as needed through the coinciding openings, or to remove the cartridges, in the customary manner with boxes having removable covers, by taking them by hand out of the uncovered lower part of the box.

So that cartridges in the bottom part of the box cannot fall out of the opening in its side wall in case of the lastmentioned type of usage, there is provided, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, a tongue extending into the opening to prevent passage of the cartridges. However, the tongue can easily be removed, by tearing or breaking it 01f, if it is desired to use the box in the closed manner, i.e., with the cover placed on so the cartridges are dispensed individually through the coinciding wall openings. Even after removal of the blocking tongue, however, it is possible at any time to close the dispensing opening by shifting the cover a given angle with respect to the bottom part, i.e., so the opening in each wall do not coincide.

The tongue at its base extends, preferably, only to the height of the wall of the bottom part so that the tongue is formed entirely of said wall. In this Way, breaking oil of the tongue is facilitated, particularly because both the bottom part and cover part of the box are preferably constructed of plastic. However, the tongue need not entirely fill the opening.

The wall of the cover part should preferably fit over the wall of the bottom part. Thus, the latter wall can be spaced inwardly from the edge of the base of the bottom part so that the outside surface of the wall of the lid is flush with the edge of the bottom part. Alternatively, the upper portion of the bottom wall can be recessed to accommodate the cover wall.

One embodiment of a box in accordance with the invention is shown in the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation in axial section through the bottom part of the box;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the bottom part;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation in axial section through the lid; and

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the lid.

The bottom part, which is preferably made of plastic, has the shape of a regular hexagon and has a bottom vertical outer wall 2 the upper part of which is recessed and forms a side Wall 3 on which the wall 5 of the correspondingly hexagonally-shaped cover 4 can be placed, the cover wall 5 fitting flush with the outer wall 2 of the bottom part.

In one of the six side surfaces of the cover wall 5 there is provided a rectangular cutout 6 of such dimensions that an individual explosive cartridge can pass through. A corresponding cutout 7 is located in one of the six portions of the bottom wall 3. Into this opening 7 there extends, however, a tongue-like 8 portion of the wall 3 which prevents the passage of a cartridge through the opening 7. By tearing or breaking otf the tongue 8, which can have a scoring at its base, it is possible to use the box in a manner such that, with the cover on and the openings 6 and 7 coinciding, cartridges can be dispensed individually through said openings. The box can be closed by shifting the cover 60, or with respect to the bottom part.

The polygonal contour of the box also has the advantage that the box cannot roll away from a work place. Furthermore, if the box is manufactured of plastic, as is desirable, the advantage can be obtained by fitting the walls 5 and 3 closely that the cover does not unintentionally loosen even though relatively heavy articles are contained within the box.

I claim:

1. A box particularly for cartridges for stud drivers comprising a bottom portion having a bottom wall with a plurality of edges disposed at an angle to each other to form a polygonal configuration, a bottom side wall coextensive with each bottom wall edge and extending substantially vertically upwardly from said bottom wall with adjacent ends of said side walls being joined together, only one of said bottom side Walls having a de fined opening of a size to permit dispensing of a cartridge therefrom, and a cover portion of substantially the same configuration of said bottom portion for closing the bottom portion having a top wall with a plurality of edges and with a top side wall coextensive with each bottom wall edge and extending substantially vertically downwardly from said top wall, the adjacent ends of said top side walls being joined together, and each overlapping a portion of the corresponding bottom side Walls, one of said top side walls having an opening of substantially the same size as the opening in the bottom side wall and which will align with the opening in the bottom side wall when the top portion is closed over the bottom portion, and a tongue disposed across the defined opening in said one bottom side wall and substantially closing the opening to permit retention of the cartridges in the bottom portion when the cover is removed, said tongue being removable to permit dispensing of the cartridges through the openings of said bottom side wall and said top side wall when the openings are aligned.

2. A box as claifned in claim 1, wherein said tongue 1,775,959 9/1930 Himes 20642 is formed of the material of the associated bottom side 2,426,911 9/1947 Williamson 20642 wall of the bottom portion and has a scoring at its 2,706,592 4/1955 Schaller 229-41 base- 2,774,466 12/1956 Liska 206-42 References Cited 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. 625,757 5/1899 Groneman 229-19 WILLIAM T. DIXSON, JR., Examiner.

1,216,031 2/1917 Wilcox 206-485 

1. A BOX PARTICULARLY FOR CARTRIDGE FOR STUD DRIVERS COMPRISING A BOTTOM PORTION HAVING A BOTTOM WALL WITH A PLURALITY OF EDGES DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE TO EACH OTHER TO FORM A POLYGONAL CONFIGURATION, A BOTTOM SIDE WALL COEXTENSIVE WITH EACH BOTTOM WALL EGDE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY UPWARDLY FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL WITH ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID SIDE WALLS BEING JOINED TOGETHER, ONLY ONE OF SAID BOTTOM SIDE WALLS HAVING A DEFINED OPENING OF A SIZE TO PERMIT DISPENSING OF A CARTRIDGE THEREFROM, AND A COVER PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME CONFIGURATION OF SAID BOTTOM PORTION FOR CLOSING THE BOTTOM PORTION HAVING A TOP WALL WITH A PLURALITY OF EDGES AND WITH A TOP SIDE WALL COEXTENSIVE WITH EACH BOTTOM WALL EDGE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID TOP WALL, THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID TOP SIDE WALLS BEING JOINED TOGETHER, AND EACH OVERLAPPING A PORTION OF THE CORRESPONDING BOTTOM SIDE WALLS, ONE OF SAID TOP SIDE WALLS HAVING AN OPENING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME SIZE AS THE OPENING IN THE BOTTOM SIDE WALL AND WHICH WILL ALIGN WITH THE OPENING IN THE BOTTOM SIDE WALL WHEN THE TOP PORTION IS CLOSED OVER THE BOTTOM PORTON, AND A TONGUE DISPOSED ACROSS THE DEFINED OPENING IN SAID ONE BOTTOM SIDE WALL AND SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSING THE OPENING TO PERMIT RETENTION OF THE CARTRIDGES IN THE BOTTOM PORTION WHEN THE COVER IS REMOVED, SAID TONGUE BEING REMOVABLE TO PERMIT DISPENSING OF THE CARTRIDGES THROUGH THE OPENINGS OF SAID BOTTOM SIDE WALL AND SAID TOP SIDE WALL WHEN THE OPENINGS ARE ALIGNED. 